


Sometimes

by MicheConnor



Category: Smallville
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-03
Updated: 2013-07-03
Packaged: 2017-12-17 13:49:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/868259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MicheConnor/pseuds/MicheConnor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lex spies, makes some plans, and well. . . It goes on from there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sometimes

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU story, set three or so years after "Together We’ll Rule." For the most part things happened as depicted through seasons one and two, but Lionel was never prosecuted for the deaths of his parents. Clark and Lois work at the ‘Planet. Clark never told anyone his secret, save Lex. Jonathan Kent died, but as a farmer, not a political candidate, and Martha is still back on the farm.
> 
> HUGE mega-thanks to the three wonderful and wondrous people who offered to beta: teot, and Cinderella81. Your comments inspired and helped me immensely. Any errors are mine and mine alone, and I live for constructive criticism, feedback,  savories and sweets. 

Sometimes, lessons can be learned through simple observation. It’s one of the first lessons his father ever taught him, and like the other handful of truths that have come this way, he holds them close to his heart, almost as another would cherish words of support or love, because for a Luthor, that is what they are. 

Lionel sorts through Lex’s desk, snorting to himself as he catalogues faults, errors and other trivial items into piles. Lex stands in the doorway, and simply watches, waiting to see if Lionel will acknowledge him or if the older man really is as involved in his search as he seems to be. A log falls in the fireplace, the crack loud in the silence that was broken only by the low susurrous of paper sliding on itself. 

Lex saunters forward, coughing just a little to clear his throat and gain his father's attention. "Dad." 

"Ah, Lex." Lionel lifts his head, pausing briefly as he places the last few pieces of whatever he’s been sorting through into a plain folder. The pleasant smile affixed to his face leaves his eyes untouched, cold and penetrating. "Just sorting through some business files, " he says as he stands. 

"So I see. I'm sure you’ve found things . . . satisfactory?" Lex looks at his father levelly, returning his cold stare with a smirk of his own. He stares at the folder in his father’s hands and sniffs diffidently, the smirk on his face widening fractionally as Lionel closes the folder and places it almost carelessly on the glass top of his desk. 

That same smile falters briefly as Lionel steps out from behind the piece of furniture and strides across the floor to stand before his son. He leans close, looking intently into Lex’s clear eyes and observing his expression for a tense moment. Lex stares boldly back at his father, and smiles wickedly. 

"Interesting premise on the Wickham takeover, Lex. But you need to look at that deal again." Lionel’s words are cold as the wind outside the castle. "You’re giving them too much." 

Lex rocks backward on his heels, grits his teeth and waits for the blow to land. It's not quite a relief that it doesn't come. 

"I’ll expect a rewritten contract on my desk tomorrow, Lex." Lionel smiles a shark’s smile, sharp and full of teeth. "Goodnight, Lex," he says as as he strides out of the office. 

"Dad." Lex’s voice is dry, scratchy and barely audible as he forces the acknowledgment out past his clenched lips. 

Lionel is on his way to the garage when the faint sound of fine crystal shattering echoes in his ears. He chuckles quietly as he climbs into the back of the limousine that’s been waiting for him. 

~*~*~ 

Two years later.

Here, on top of _Lexcorp_ Tower, Lex could peer out on his world and see just about anything, and see it in far more detail than one might expect with a telescope that kept its eye behind the thick plate glass window-wall of his office. He pulled back from the eyepiece and adjusted the focus knob minutely

A low beeping sound alerted him and he turned away from the window, taking a moment to throw a blanket emblazoned with Lexcorp’s logo over the telescope in a smooth gesture. He took a seat behind his desk once more, and said, "Go ahead, Polly." 

"Yes, Mister Luthor. I’m sending them in now." 

The office door opened, and a man and woman entered. 

"Hey, Lex." Clark’s voice was casual, belying the shuffled step and trip that soon followed the greeting. 

"Clark. You're so hopeless." Lois sighed and stepped around her less-than-graceful partner. "Lex Luthor." Her greeting was far more clipped than Clark's. It was also cool and somehow managed to imply disdain. 

"Ah, hey, Lois, ah–" Clark gulped as he pushed the thick lenses up past the bridge of his nose. "I–Hey. Um. Interview? Lex?" He tried to get a pen from his pocket and to take a seat in one of the chairs placed before Lex’s desk. It was perhaps a bit too complicated a manoeuver, since he somehow managed to flip the pen into a vase of daffodils and nearly overturn the chair. 

"Mr. Luthor." Lois tried to be brisk and business-like, ignoring Clark completely. "I appreciate your taking time to answer a few questions for the Planet." 

Lex hid a smile at Clark's quiet virtuoso performance. Absently, he fished the pen from the vase and offered it to Clark, who blushed, quite predictably, and thanked him quietly. 

"Well, Ms. Lane. I've always tried to maintain an open and friendly relationship with the press. What questions do you have?" 

"Tell me about _LuthorCorp_. Its stock has been falling these past few months; a drop that’s surely costthe you and your father and the stockholders a substantial amount of money." 

Lex shifted in his chair, regarding Lois intently. "I can parrot the press releases to you, but–" He leaned forward, steepling his fingers, his blue-green eyes brightening with what some would call an unholy glee. "There’s no reason for such inanities. I'm not sure how good your research skills are, but it should be quite clear that my fortune has not been tied to my father’s for some time." 

Lois stiffened in her seat and shot Clark a glance. He shrugged back at her in return, pulling out his patented ‘I’m innocent!’ expression. 

Lois gritted her teeth and continued. "Is that so, Lex? Then why have there been reports of massive _LuthorCorp_ stock transfers? _LexCorp_ has been scooping up _LuthorCorp_ ’s holdings as they have been shed at prices that seem to be obscenely low. C’mon, Lex. Just lay it all out." 

"I can’t give you details, Lois. You know that." Lex’s chair creaked as he leaned back. He turned slightly to look at Clark. Clark, who finally seemed to have gotten coordinated. Bright green eyes, hidden behind thick lenses, met his ever so briefly. Winked. 

"Then tell me about the pollution that’s been linked to _LuthorCorp_ –the pollution that's been dumped in Metropolis’ suicide slums for years. You _have_ to know about that!" 

"The pollution is unfortunate. So many innocent lives have had to pay for my father’s greed and shortsightedness. _LexCorp_ is going to do everything to help detoxify the land and water." Lex sounded viciously righteous. 

"And, as you are well aware, Ms. Lane, I was a junior executive in my father’s company. I was not allowed to do more than pick up a cup of coffee at his direction. That, in a nutshell, is the primary reason I decided to create _LexCorp_." 

"You mean you've decided to take a page from your father’s book!" Lois said hotly, slamming her pen into her notebook. She stood, looking irate and magnificent in her anger. "Clark, you talk to him. I’m going to get out of here." 

Lex leaned forward, then stood himself; his eyes were intensely focused on the reporter. "I am not my father. I will not be my father." His lip curled as he pushed the intercom button on his desk. "Polly. Please escort Ms. Lane to the press room." 

"Oh! You–" Lois sputtered, grabbing her purse and tape recorder as she stalked toward the door. 

"Yes, Mr. Luthor." Bare seconds later, his secretary opened the door and smiled at Lois. "This way, Ms. Lane, if you please?" 

Lex relaxed only after the door was closed and he engaged the lock. "Clark, I don't understand how you can work with her," he said quietly, coming back to his friend's side. Absently, his hands slipped through Clark’s tangled mop, smoothing and pushing the heavy mass away from his face. 

"Well, she’s a lot like you, actually, Lex." Clark laughed just a little, sighing happily as Lex massaged his scalp. "Don’t get all huffy. I just mean she’s driven, has goals and won’t take no for an answer. Plus, I kind of think she just wants to be good at something. I can understand that." 

Lex snickered at the comparison. "Well, if you put it that way, I can see it. But I don’t know how much longer we can put her off." 

"It’s not going to be much longer, is it? A week, right? That’s what you said?" 

Lex looked down at Clark, who was still seated, and pulled his glasses off. "It might be sooner. If we can plant that evidence." 

Clark frowned slightly. "I'm not sure–" 

"Clark." Lex leaned down and pressed a kiss to Clark’s forehead. "My grandparents died, Clark. I can’t let him get away with that." 

"No, I know, but–" Clark sighed deeply. "I just wish the police could find this stuff without our ‘help.’"

"I know, Clark. I wished that too. Now, let’s get something on that pad of paper of yours so that Lois won't wonder–too much–at our delay." 

~*~*~ 

It was a matter of a moment to place the evidence that Lex had gathered on his father in the appropriate place so that the right city police watchdog would find it. Clark sighed, and muttered out loud, "Really, really don’t like doing this. But he’s right. Lionel will literally get away with murder unless this is found by the right people." He took a good, long look around to be sure that no one could see him and then blurred away. Lex would be pacing in his penthouse. 

~*~*~ 

"Hey," Clark’s voice was a quiet murmur against Lex’s neck. 

"I’m glad you’re back." Lex turned, leaning into the embrace. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." He smiled wickedly and looked up at Clark through his lashes. "Let me make it up to you?" 

"Foot massage? With hot oil?" Clark looked at Lex hopefully. 

"Done and done." 

~*~*~ 

Lex warmed the almond massage oil in a bowl of hot water as Clark sat on the sofa, untying his shoes. A log on the fire snapped and the sound echoed loudly in the silence that settled between the two. It was not an uncomfortable feeling, but simply one that seemed to stretch and envelop each man in his own thoughts and feelings. 

"Lex." Clark said softly as he sat with his elbows on his knees, his hands resting just below his chin, looking at Lex. 

"Mm? Yes, Clark?" Lex tested the oil with a fingertip, but paused as he caught sight of his friend’s expression. "Do you still want this?" 

"Yes," Clark said quietly, holding up a long, bare foot as evidence. "I just–Can we talk, too?" 

"We can always talk, Clark," Lex said as he brought the oil and a small towel over to where he wanted to begin the massage. "Just relax. You’ll like this." 

Clark laughed, but it was subdued. "I know I will. I did when you did it before, remember?" 

Lex knelt on the floor and gently lifted Clark’s foot to place it on his thigh. He opened the bottle of oil and poured a small amount between his palms and rubbed them together briefly before smoothing his fingers over the large foot in his lap. "You wanted to talk?" 

"Yeah." Clark sighed, shifting on the sofa so that his feet were closer to Lex. "But it’s amazingly hard to do with you rubbing my feet like that." He reclined a bit more, and simply closed his eyes. "This whole evidence thing–" 

"It really bothers you that much?" Lex's deft and agile hands slid along the arch of his foot, gently pressing upward and inward in tiny circular motions. 

"I–Well, no. But I keep thinking it should, Lex. I can hear my father railing at me in my head. And it’s annoying because I know it’s the right thing. I just can’t help but think I should have simply walked into the Police Department, dropped the file on someone’s desk, and just told them I had proof of a murder, and could they _please_ make your father go away forever?" 

Lex grinned at Clark's rush of words. "You never really were into subterfuge." He sighed and added, "I just wanted it this way to protect you. If my father–or his friends–found out who and what you are, you’d be in a cell in the deepest darkest dungeon so fast that there’d be wind burns on your face." His deft fingers pulled on Clark’s toes gently, then stretched them upward and downward while maintaining the smoothing motion over the gentle arch and across the top of his love’s foot. 

"I know. But Lex. If this . . . way . . . doesn’t work for some reason, can we try my way?" Clark opened his eyes and looked at Lex pleadingly. "I mean–I know you want to protect me, but, if it goes all wrong then, well, maybe it wasn’t meant to be done that way." 

Lex pulled Clark’s other foot into his lap and began his slow ministrations after pouring more oil onto his hands. "Clark–Ah. I really don’t want to do that. Morgan Edge and his thugs are not anyone you want to deal with. They’re not anyone I want to deal with, and I’ve had to since I was a teen. Not to mention the United States Government." 

Clark looked faintly sick at the mention of the government. "I saw ‘Alien Dissection’, Lex. It was horrible." He shook his head, as if to get the images from behind his eyelids, and pulled his feet from Lex’s clasp. "Come here?" 

"You saw that–filth? Clark! I told you not to–" Lex grumbled even as he allowed himself to be pulled into a hug. "Stupid man. Stupid, stupid." Lex accented each murmur of stupid with a kiss. 

"Yeah. I am." Clark angled his neck, so that Lex might kiss him along his throat. "But I had to see it. Lois insisted. She wanted to do an expose' on the producer and writer, because it was, in her words, 'Clearly a fake.' It was really the most awful thing ever." 

"And if Lois insisted that you drop a five-hundred ton weight on your head, you’d do that, too?" Lex’s voice was acidic. 

"No. But I would if you asked me to." 

"Damn right you would, because I’d have a hell of a good reason for you to be doing it!" Lex claimed Clark’s mouth, teasing him with tiny biting nips that left them both almost gasping. "Let’s go to bed." 

Clark beamed at Lex. "That's the best idea I've heard. I’ll get that almond oil. I want to give you a massage." 

"Yes, yes you will. And I want you to pay particular attention to my b–" 

The sound of a cell phone ringing stridently interrupted them. 

"Clark, why don’t you wait upstairs for me? I’ll get that and be up in just a moment." Lex pulled away from Clark and hurried to get his cell phone before it could ring again. He opened the phone, and placed it to his ear. "Clark, go." 

Clark shook his head and blurred forward so that he was pressed against Lex. "No. We’re in this together," he muttered. 

Lex just sighed, listening to what had to be the longest salutation Clark had ever heard. He looked incredibly bored. 

Clark’s lips started to twitch as he tried to repress a giggle. 

Lex’s blue eyes flared as he pressed his hand to Clark’s mouth. "Shush!" 

Clark found it even more difficult with Lex's long fingers pressed to his lips not to simply break into a laugh. Instead, his shoulders started to shake uncontrollably. 

"Yes, yes. You’ve apparently gone by the book on every protocol, Mr. Ridden. And your findings, now, I presume? Ah!" Satisfaction deepened Lex’s voice to a baritone. "And you’re going to prosecute? Ah, sending men over to LuthorCorp, now. Good. And yes. If you need me to testify, I’ll do it. Thank you." He snapped the phone shut and tossed it away. "You are a complete menace, Clark. How could you laugh at such an earnest, humble and dedicated public servant?" 

"Because he called you Lexifer. Lexifer! What the heck name is that?" 

Lex started to laugh, too. "He clearly had a speech impediment." He stepped away from Clark so that their only point of shared contact was their twined fingers. "Let's go to bed and celebrate." 

"Yes, Lexifer." 

"Oh, come on!" 

Clark stopped a moment, pulling back just a tad on the hand he held in his own. "Wait, Lex."

Lex stopped, looking back at Clark expectantly.

"It's all going to be good, right? All of it? Happily ever after and everything?" 

Lex sauntered the two steps back to Clark's side, looked up at him for a long moment and then nodded. "Yes. Now, it will be all that and more."

~*~*~


End file.
